Box+Office+Hits

Cara Silverman || ||
 * || =The City=

Overview
Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a Hollywood actor? To move into an unfamiliar city and really find out what it's like to pursue the dream of fame? Well this is your opportunity to do just that. The City will simulate the environment of the city of Los Angeles, and you will be on an adventure to find success. But just as in LAS, how you do this is up to you. If you want to spend your time on the casting couch as opposed to auditions, the choice is yours. But beware, no matter what path you choose there will be obstacles that plague at your success. You could get robbed, you could get conned, or you could just be in a movie that bombs. But no matter what happens it's up to you to keep moving forward so that you too can e remembered as a Hollywood star!!

Instructional Objective
The City is a simulation game designed to introduce players to the city of Los Angeles, familiarize them with its culture, and also shed light on some of the many opportunities and obstacles that can present themselves to the struggling actor living there. It is designed to teach learners a very diverse range of information, giving them an educated idea of what moving to LA to become an actor involves. Most of the learning content can be placed into one of the five broad learning objectives that follow.


 * 1. Los Angeles Geography and Topography**

Because the landscape of the game is designed to reflect the different areas of Los Angeles, it will call upon players to learn the overall layout of the city. The information will not be confined to teach them only the specific locations of the districts, but will also shed light on some of the similarities and differences between them. This will include but not be excluded to information on where the desirable places to live are, characteristics that are unique to each area, as well as where to go for entertainment and/or networking purposes.

Upon arriving to the city, people will be required to choose a place to live. Different districts will have property values and prices similar to those in the actual area. They will reflect the current real estate conditions and show them some of the reasons why they may or may not want to live there. For instance, some places may be more susceptible to random acts of crime which would devaluate the property. The nature of these crimes and the likelihood of one occurring will be based on actual crime facts and statistics. If one of these acts should be directed towards a player it would result in a financial loss, making it less likely that they or others would want to live there. On the other hand there will be areas that are of great value due to their central location. Living close to everything will make it easier for the player to visit multiple "hot-spots" in shorter period, thus increasing the chances of being discovered.

Property values in The City are not fixed but are dynamic. They will change as the actual market changes, but will also be dependent on the choices made by players in the game. For instance, there will be players who have been in the industry for a while and have built upon their experience and gained financial worth over time. If several of these players move to the same area, it will in turn have a positive effect on the property values in that area.

The City will also demonstrate some of the the neighborhood attractions. Actual points of interest will appear in the virtual realm as well, such as the walk of fame, rodeo plaza, bunker hill, and the miracle mile. Players will be familiarized with what districts most of their auditions or shoots will be in. If they travel into the depths of the valley for an audition they were told about by a man they met at a nightclub, for instance, there is a greater likelihood that it will be a scam than for auditions that take place in Hollywood. Networking also plays a crucial role in the game, so many of LA's "hot spots" will be reflected in the game. And producers and directors are lurking around every corner, so getting out there can be a good way for talents to get discovered. And just as in the case of the real estate market, the popularity of a place will be dependent on players. The value of a place can change over time as the number of players that visit it changes.


 * 2. The Process of Becoming an A-lister**

The City will teach players about the process by showing them what steps are crucial to them as well as some of the differing ways in which they can achieve success. It will also reflect what some of the possible outcomes may be based on the decisions they make. The first thing the aspiring talent must do is find a place to live. This is a mandatory because nobody will take them serious if they don't have a Log Angeles address and number. The next step is also necessary before any auditions can be gone to, and requires players to find representation. Of course, there is still the possibility of finding work purely by networking. Some players might choose to spend all their time at hot spots looking to be discovered. But the best shot a player has of adding value to themselves is to gain experience by going to auditions and booking jobs. But it doesn't end there. Even after if you are lucky enough to book a studio film, you will have to visit different location to promote it so that the probability of it being successful is greater.


 * 3. Finding Representation**

Another instructional objective of the game is to teach players about some of things they should look for when seeking representation. They will have to choose from a large selection of agencies, agents, and managers. There will be a website with lists of all the eReps that they can go to investigate who they potentially will be working with. If they click on the name of the agency they are working on it will link to that companies website. Information on each companies website will vary but will most often include the size of the company, when they were founded, and the jobs their talents have booked in the past. Some agencies will be more dedicated to their clients and better and finding them work, so people will be able to write reviews on people who have represented them in the past. This is a great way to find out if they are a reputable company or just going to end up being a waste of time.


 * 4. Drivers for Success**

Yet another instructional objective of the game is to show players the many factors that can contribute to their success or failure in the game. The number of auditions they go to will have an effect on the number of jobs they book. There will not be a direct correlation between the two, as that is not the case in reality, but the more audition they go to the more likely they are to book jobs and add to their experience and value. Their success will also depend on the success of the individual jobs they book. Some of these outcomes will be based on reality. Talent will be cast for roles in movies and shows that are actually being produced in Hollywood at the time. A successful movie or show will move them forward in their career. A failure, however, can have devastating effects on their career. Multiple failures can result in a lowered probability of them booking work. The success level of jobs that are not based on real productions will for the more part be randomly generated. Although an all star cast and a big name director will increase the probability of that project being a hit, there is no equation for success so there still remains the possibility of failure. But one of the things they can do to help the chances of a project being successful is to promote it. Talent will be exposed to multiple ways through which they can promote. Not only will this increase the likelihood of the projects success, it was also give the talent exposure which can have a positive effect on their value. Additionally there area number of random factors that will have direct and indirect implications on a talents level of success.


 * 5. Random Occurrences**

The City will have an abundance of non-player characters who will demonstrate to the learner some of the random things that can happen in Los Angeles. Many of these were touched upon in earlier objectives, and include things like the possibility of being robbed,, or discovered. As previously mentioned, whether or not a talent is booked for a job or if that job generated success will also be determined, at least in part, by probability. In addition to these, however, these will be a number of random events that truly may catch the off guard. Some of these include paparazzi encounters of being the center of a major Hollywood scandal. A player might have a sex tape discovered and released, or they might get addicted to drugs and be temporarily forced out of work to make a retreat for rehab.

Learners
The game is designed to be played by a wide range of people. They will differ in age, level of education, and both knowledge about and interest in the subject matter. But because the game is designed as a virtual reality, the type of learners it will attract will actually be two-fold. On the one side, there will be those who are have a high degree of interest in learning about Los Angeles and the process of becoming a notable actor or actress. They might thinking of pursutchallenges they might face in doing so. Those who are not interested in acting themselves will most likely be people not directly involved in the entertainment industry and not entirely familiar with the city of LA. However they will still demonstrate an eagerness to learn about the culture of both. Though they can be characterized by many sets of contrasting demographics, these people are grouped together as a result of their affinity towards the subject matter.

One the other hand, there are the people who are less interested in the actual learning content of the game and concerned more with using it as a tool for self-identity exploration. There will be old, young, rich, poor, fat, and skinny players from many corners of the world who come to live in the virtual city. They will have a number different religious beliefs, political ideals, and upbringings. The main benefit they stand to gain from the game is having the possibility of living as someone else and having a different life than the ones they have created for themselves in the real world.

Context of Use
The City is designed for personal use in the privacy of one's own home. However with the expanding presences of mobile technologies there is the increased opportunity for this virtual would to seep into a number of other sectors of the real world. The game is almost more of a virtual reality that a game. It is a massively multiplayer online real-life game, or MMORLG. And even though there are many goals to be reached by players, there are no winners, no losers, and no end. Players can dedicate however much time they want to this game whenever they want. There are no multiple games, just one ongoing one.

Scope
The scope of this game, admittedly, is quite extensive. Many districts of Los Angeles are to be mirrored in the game and numerous characteristics of each included. Some of these include the location and overall appearance of the area, famous destinations, crime rates, real estate market values. Additional content includes the process of becoming an actor, different agency types and services offered, and whether or not certain projects are successful based on their success or failure in the real world. It will be a manufactured mecca of the entertainment industry with everything but the traffic. And because it aims to cover so much material, development in its entirety would take a substantial dedication of time and effort. The good news for developers is that most if The City will be created by user innovations. Though the content elements listed above are to be included in the original implementation, The City will grow and expand as a result of users taking part in developing it. They will be able to create new houses, places, and effects those that already exist based on their actions. They will have available to them all the tools necessary for them to build a world in whatever way they see fit.

There will be two main places things will occur: In 'the city' and in 'locations'. The city includes everything which is outside like streets, parks, and even outdoor shopping malls. When a player arrives at a specific location, they may enter that location if they choose to do so. The fact that locations are indoor is what distinguished them from the city. The primary locations are homes, lounges and nightclubs, and audition or work locations, each of which there will be many. The number of locations is not defined because it is susceptible to user manipulation and is therefor in a constant state of evolution. In terms of places the user can explore, the options in the game are virtually unlimited. However, even though they can go anywhere the viewpoints they have to choose from are limited. But they too will reflect content the be included. Users will have the options of viewing things though an Extreme Long Shot (XLS), a Long Shot (LS), Medium Long Shot (MLS), Medium Shot (MS), Medium Closeup (MCU), Closeup (CU), and even an Extreme Closeup (XCU). The views will all be beneficial in some way depending on the circumstances. The XLS, in the same way it is used in movies as an establishing shot, can be used by players to see the big picture and overall environment. And transitioning from a LS to a MCU when approaching another avatar is a way to enter a conversation with that person. The XCU will also have its advantages to help players see the smaller details, and read the fine print if you will.

Just as there is no limit to the number of locations in The City, there is also no limit on the time that can be spent there. The game will have already begun when players begin to play. For the individual, the game will begin when they move to The City and end when they stop being active in The City. But as a whole the game has no real beginning or end. Some talent might not ever book a single job, while others will achieve a great deal of success. But everything could change in an instant, so in The City there are no winners and no losers.

Object of the Game
The ultimate goal of the game is to get a star on the Walk of Fame. However unlike the stars in Hollywood, a star on the virtual Walk of Fame will not be a lifelong claim to fame. Instead the walk will exist as the games high scores page. In order to be awarded a star, talents must achieve a certain level of net worth and sustain it for a predetermined about of time. A talents net worth will be displayed in a numerical form at the bottom of the players screen, and it will immediately reflect changes that result from things occurring in The City. A players own net worth will be visible to them at all times, and but they will not be able to see the net worth of others. Some of the factors contributing to a talents net worth are their experience level, successes they've had versus failures, time spent in the limelight (which doesn't have to do with work and includes things such as paparazzi encounters, publicity stunts, and public appearances), and many other random occurrences that might play into it.

Though the desired end result might be to get a star, which is the highest level of achievement one can have, there will be nine other levels of achievement. Players will move to The City and begin as no name actors. Unlike in Los Angeles, it doesn't matter who you know in The City, everyone starts at the same level. The chart below shows the names of each of the levels. The players net worth will determine level they are in and the name of the level will also reflect whether they are currently advancing or retrogressing in their career.



Even though a players net worth is private, it's the nature of the beast that if they are in one of the top five categories, their level will be made public. The levels of talent in the bottom five categories will remain private as well as those of all non-player characters. Each level also has a number of benefits associated to it. As players net worth increased and they move up the ladder, they will be able to move into a more central location, will be allowed into more of the exclusive nightclubs, and have an increasing likelihood of being hires for jobs they audition for.

Competing Products
The most direct competition for this game will come from virtual worlds, which are growing in numbers by the day. Thee virtual worlds can have a variety of appearances and platforms, and can be for both entertainment and educational purposes. There are many examples of these, including The Online Sims, Second Life, and Entropia Universe. Some of them are larger than others, but they are all massively multiplayer online real-life games (MMORLGs). In terns of the content however, there is not a single MMORLG that deals with the same information to any degree.

Design Details
//Universal Elements//

The overall appearance of the game is to walk the line between looking like a real world and looking like a fantasy one. While the overall layout of the city and many of its landmarks, attractions, and hot spots will virtually mirror those of Los Angeles, the style of graphics will maintain a game-like quality that allows people and places to be glamorized to a certain extent. Qualities should not be over-exaggerated to create a completely unrealistic platform for the game. It should instead exist as a virtual reality that is based on truths; Edgy but not rough around the edges.



It's sleek and modern appearance will set it apart from its major competitors who's depict a world that is bright and bubbly like the Sims 3 world pictured below.



As for the individual characters, or avatars, they will reflect as wide a range of appearances as can be found in L.A. Actors within The City will have thousands of outfits and persona's available for them to choose from to express themselves. They will look fairly realistic and at the same elude to fantasy. The style of graphics not be unlike those of the avatars shown below.



//Specific Elements//

The City can manifest itself as an adventure or a simulation, depending on how the user plays the game. Most often it will be a combination of the two. The City will be introduced with only basic feature of the city. The different districts of LA will be visible to the user, and will contain some of the landmark attractions that can be found there. There will be enough information to be able to tell which is the commercial district as opposed to the clubbing district, but much of the environment will be left to be designed by players if and when they reach a level that allows them do to so. Default settings of players is that they have no experience or money when they move to LA as an aspiring actor. That is the vantage point they will have and role they will take in the game. Specific features of the avatar are left entirely up to the user.

The overall goal of the game as discussed earlier, is to make it through each of the ten levels of success and earn a spot on the high score page, which in this case will take the form of the Walk of Fame. There are a variety of factors contributing to the success of aspiring talent so this can happen in a number of different ways. The two primary locations in which a talent will be able the find work are at auditions and lounges or nightclubs. If they opt for the traditional route, they will receive notices from their agency advising them of upcoming casting calls, and will often find themselves on a couch in a small room somewhere with other talents as they wait for their name to be called. Once it is, they will appear before a panel of casting directors who will judge whether or not they fit the part. The sequence of situations could proceed and appear something like this:



Players will also be able to use networking in addition to or as opposed to trying to book jobs by auditioning. One thing that players will have to be careful of is the infamous Hollywood "director", "producer", or "photographer" with ulterier motives. Although player in the top five bracket of success will have their level available for others to see, all success levels of people working behind the camera are confidential. This will mean the talent has to really listen to what they are saying and try to pick up on anything that sounds suspicious. The procedure that might ensue while seeking success in this way could go something like this:

//You hear of a brand new club opening up and decide to make your way over to that location to check it out. You enter the dance club using a LS to take in the overall environment. It seems like a nice place but for some reason nobody is here.//...



//...after scoping out the the place you approach the only other person in the place. Maybe he can tell you why nobody it here tonight? Or perhaps they he'll be able to hook you up with one of his connections since you are an aspiring singer as well..//.



//...chatting with the DJ proves to be a fruitless effort, and within minutes you are leaving through the door you had just come in. Immediately after exiting you are approached by and eccentric man with long silver-white hair who starts speaking to you...//



//...will you go to the "auditions" tomorrow or will you not?...//

The man who approached is on of the thousands of non-player characters who will exist in The City. The profiles of these people will be even more diverse than those of the players. Many of them will actually be directors and producers, and many others will be perverts and scumbags. And then there will be those that have nothing to do with the entertainment industry. The player will have to constantly be making decisions having to do with these characters, other players, and how they want to pursue their career.

The decisions players make in situations like the one presented above and many others will be one of the numerous factors that can contribute to their overall net worth. If a players net worth is large enough to place them in one of the top five levels of success than the level they are in will be made public knowledge. It will not be a large distracting number above their head but something more discrete, like having a small number on their arm. If a player accumulates enough net worth to attain a level 1 status, they will have their name put in the high scores page, which in The City means they will have a star on the Walk of Fame. The Walk of Fame can be visited and viewed by anyone. Stars will look like this until they are occupied:



Motivational Issues
The motivational factors of The City are wide ranging a dependent on the individual. In accordance to Keller's ARCS model, it will interest by by gaining attention, being relevant, and giving them both confidence and satisfaction. The game will gain attention by using perceptual arousal, inquiry arousal, and variability. The large city is bright and has a modern look, peaking the curiosity of players to explore and see all the things it has to offer. The game is relevant to the learner because it is goal oriented. Most of these goals can be matched to individual motives of the players. And in order to increase confidence, player are given numerous opportunity for success. They are also able to control, to a certain degree, the situations they are in by being given choices. There will be both negative and positive consequences as a result of decisions they make, which will in turn give players satisfaction. This performance feedback will be frequent, clear, constructive, and encouraging. Another way the game will motivate players is by providing them with multiple challenges. The varying level of difficulties and goals gives a continuing appeal to players of all experience. It will be personally meaningful to players for a variety of reasons. Some players might find instrumental relevance and truly benefit from what the game teaches about the process of becoming an actor. Others will find the game to be socially relevant, providing them with new ways to interact and connect with people they might not have been able to before. And finally, the game have fantasy relevance to some players. It gives them the chance to be a person they aren't, live a life they don't, and do things that they would never normally do. For many, it can be a tool for self-identity exploration.

Design Process
In contrast to previous games I've worked on, coming up with and idea worth developing was not the most challenging aspect. I know what I wanted to make the game on immediately. I wanted the game to somehow show factors that contribute to success in the entertainment industry. I just had no idea how I wanted to develop the idea. It initially seemed like such a wide scope of information with no way to make any significant connection to the real world. Actually it's not that there weren't any, there were simply too many and I didn't know how to measure and accurately reflect the information. I thought about having users take the vantage point of critics and try to predict if a project would be successful, but that seemed boring to me. Another one of my early ideas was to have users choose avatars that will give them a specific role in the game. There would be the talent, writers, directors, producers, etc, all of whom would be trying to make successful films. However I soon realized that the vast number of people needed and variables included would make this game nearly impossible to deliver. Then I thought about setting up the game in a similar fashion as fantasy football, where users would choose from a wide selection of working actors, producers, directors, writers, etc., and produce a team for their next movie. And like fantasy football the success of the team will be dependent on the success of the individual players in the real world. And then, finally, I took a break.

When I came back to the material with a fresh perspective I was still right where I had left off. But only for a short moment. As I sat down to begin writing my deign document I had the epiphany I had been waiting for. When studying for one of my other classes in the previous week I came across my notes from a guest speaker we had in class months ago. They had given a presentation on a virtual world called Second Life. That recollection led me to the realization that I was approaching the game entirely wrong. I had to develop it as a virtual world. Like in Second Life, users would have a hand in developing their surrounding environment. Once that idea hit me the rest came easy. Immediately I began to generate an extensive list of instructional objectives. There were facts, concepts, principals, procedures, processes, and probabilities. The "path" the player takes in the game would be the process of becoming a successful actor. The rest of the content really just fell in place from there and was easy to match to elements of the game.

I never came to the point of having a playable prototype of the game, but as i mentioned earlier, the scope of the game makes it impossible for me to even come close. What I did do was talk to a couple classmates, friends, and surprisingly a few customers at my work, and was able to gather feedback in that way. People tended to like the idea and would occasionally give their own ideas on things to include. I do think that without a playable prototype it was difficult for people to understand fully. But I took some of the existing virtual worlds as examples of what can and can not be done, and what seems to be working.